Former stripper bares it all in onstage memoir

Mark Bonifacio/New York Daily News

Valerie Hager’s play, ‘Naked in Alaska,’ reveals her experiences working as a stripper for ten years. The play will be one of the productions at New York International Fringe Festival.

Like every personal journey, Valerie Hager’s individual odyssey has its ups and downs.

Hers just happens to be on a stripper pole.

The 350-pound portable post is a key prop in her play, “Naked in Alaska.” The memoir is one of the nearly 200 productions at the New York International Fringe Festival that kicks off Friday and runs through Aug. 25.

Mark Bonifacio/New York Daily News

Hager created her alter ego ‘Autumn’ so she could think of herself as a different person when she was dancing. ‘Sometimes it was like ‘Fight Club’ with Valerie against Autumn,’ Hager says.

“Sometimes it was like ‘Fight Club’ with Valerie against Autumn,” she says. “There was a lot going on. And the show is more than what it’s like to be a stripper. It’s about the s— we have to face to get honest with who we are.”

For Hager, that means owning her history with eating disorders and drugs. “I’ve been clean for 20 years,” she says, “and completely quit dancing six years ago.”

Hager, 37, now lives on the upper West Side with her husband and their two dogs and works as a teaching artist.

Despite her show’s title, Hager is only topless for a brief, discreet flash when she changes her costume. At its heart, “Naked in Alaska” is about getting emotionally raw and letting it all hang out.

“I believe that even the things we’re told we shouldn’t talk about — the stories we pushed away, the moments we’ve had of shame, regret and failure — I believe these stories are the ones that need to be told the most.”

“Naked in Alaska” runs for five performances from Aug. 15 to 24 at the C.O.W., Celebration of Whimsy, 21 Clinton St. A full schedule is available at FringeNYC.org.